Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-11-03
NO. 43.

head, and he had Immediately forgotten,
seemed 10 dawn upon Bobbles, and clearly
he read the ticking of the instrument
"Washcd out" were the last words OF the
hurried message. Then came the sound
signature of the operator nc Station Number
8, ten miles 10 the east and just access Big
Rock Creek.
With all til confidence of an experienced
operator the boy placed his fingers on the
few words Jack had pcnned.
AT all hazards hold Number Thai
was all. There the break had come.
Carefully the boy moved the little switch
and slowly clicked of the words
Struck by lightning. Go ON four mum
ber.''
He waited with bated breath. In n mo-
ment the answer began TO tick, and he
wrote IL as 1t came. The complete message
read
AT all hazards hold Number g. Rock
Creek badge just washed out
Number Three That was the cannon
ball fast mail train In the roar of the
4
had not heard the approach Of the train
but now, rs he wheeled I'm his chair, the en-
| gine dashed past the door, and through the
storm he saw the jolly face OF Mike Walsh,
the fireman. He rushed out upon the plat.
form. Threc-fourths of the train had dash
ed past rs he reached the edge of the planks,
aud the steps of the Last coach came even
with him. All the strength of his muscles
was taxed to the utmost as he leaped for
ward and cIntched the rail with one hand.
The force of the train jerked him almost
into n horizontal position. and IL seemed ms
| if his wrist would part with the enormous
strain. He strove to grasp the rail with
other hand but failed.
Conductor Hamilton, who happened 10 be
close 10 one Of the rear windows, saw the
apparently insane act Of the boy, and rush.
ell angrily out on the platform.
| Get Off he roared.
For Gods sake hold the train = the boy
screamed in an agony of desperation. Rock
Creek bridge is
Then he was jerked from his hold and
went whirling heels over head on the sto ne
balasted track
Ii was but the work of an instant for the
Duke to jerk the bell Soon, with a
grinding, diminishing roar and hiss of
the air brakes, the train came to a stop.
Hamilton rushed back along the traek-past
Boobies, who lay unconscious between the
rails, and into the depot.
AS his eyes fell upon the warning mes
sage penned ON the blank his usually red
| face grew white.
Kind hands bore Bobbles into the little
station, where he was laid beside Jack on
the couch. When the cannon-ball left,
backing westward. toward the division sta
tion, a little stack of silver and bills-a pres.
ent from the gr ieful pl selgers-lay se beside
the still unconscious Bobb e..
Jack, still dazed and stupid, sat presently
in the wcrn office-chair and stared in dull
amazement at Boobies, the money, and the
| Telegram, begun I'm hts own hand and fin
ished in another. The puzzle was too much
for his sorely aching head. and he shock
that member stupidity and gave up i'm de-
spair.
A few days later, when Bobbles had re-
covered enough to be able TO talk little,
and was lying on the couch, with q broad
white cloth bound around his broken head,
there came an interruption that sadly inter-
fered with Jacks pastime of listening to
the messages as they went clicking by. In
stead of passing at the top of its speed as
usual, the cannon-ball fast mail train, this
time wcst-bound, stopped at the small .plat-
| form for an instant. Then, MS u dainty lit
tie figure descended and tripped into the de-
pot, to be instantly clasped in Jacks arms,
the train moved on again. Had any one
been looking out of the depot he might have
seen smiles of satisfaction on the faces of
the grimy pair-Billy Parker and Mike
Walsh-while the mail clerk grinned in "A
congratulatory manner, and even Hamilton
deigned TO smile benignly.
The little figure was Alice Hale. AS her
lover had not come to her, after writing in
such terms of love, and receiving as she
supposed, her answer, she had come to the
conclusion that he was i'll, perhaps dying,
and had come TO him.
But, never received the letter. he said,
after the first furry was over and they
could talk nationally.
Letter, piped Bobbles, raising his white
bound head Il remember now. You did
not ask me that day il there was any letter
for you an forgot 1t. It's back of the old
bills In the middle pigeon-hole.'
It was speedily rescued from its long con
cealment.
| Put il there SOS / wouldn' lose it an
forgot, chirped Bobbles, how
The girl sprang TO the side of the boy.
why, you dear old Bobbles Carey, what
are you doing here p she cried. The entire
neighborhood gave you mp for dead long
ago. Your parents searched for you every
where and then gave you up as the rest had
done
Il run away from the boys that was alius
a-kickin' me, Bobbles explained, ,cheerfully.
MANY were the letters TO you that Bob
bles used to mail for me, Alice said.
so this IL the Miss Allie you spoke OF,
Jack remarked, turning to the lad.
You bet z Bobbles answered, emphatical-
ly. She's good he added, presently she
never kicked me-
| Hamilton, the conductor, lost one trip and
wasted good deal of time to inform the SUI
perintendent of the circumstances of the
THANKSGIVING A day later a physician,
whose fame extended throughout several
states, arrived at the little station in COM
pany with nurse, a motherly, middle-aged
woman.
There were days of suffering for Bobbles,
and delicate and dangerous operation.
Then science triumphed. The depressing
fragment of skull was lifted from Boobies
/ brain and he was restored to perfect intelli-
! gence.
| Then later white-haired minister came
| to the little station, and the cannon ball
train made stop of fifteen minutes
I The superintendent was there, and he and